


Partners in Crime

by DecepticonDrone



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Blindness, Death, Drama & Romance, Fluff and Angst, Loss of Limbs, M/M, Major Character Injury, Major Character(s), Mutilation, Partners to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 05:25:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17482049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DecepticonDrone/pseuds/DecepticonDrone
Summary: Inspired by the song "Partners in Crime" by Set It Off





	Partners in Crime

Ever since Megatron's defeat all those who had associated themselves with the Decepticons were either on the run, in hiding, or kissing Autobot aft in order to stay online and out of prison. The once easy to manipulate high ranking Primes of Cybertron were now nearly impossible to bribe or trick. The crimeworld had gone under almost as soon as word of Megatron's defeat had reached the world's audials. It was a complete slagstorm. 

Even though he never wore the Decepticon sigil, Lockdown was one of the many high value targets being chased by Autobots and even fellow bounty hunters. Luckily Lockdown had plenty of resources and his ship's cloaking ability came in handy when he needed to hide. Plus, he had plenty of new weapons and upgrades to keep him safe thanks to his current 'partner'. 

Swindle, unlike Lockdown, had worn the Decepticon sigil rather proudly. Sure he was in it for the credits and the pure anarchy, but Megatron was a customer who paid well enough for weapons that Swindle hadn't minded getting the symbol permanently placed on his chassis. With the way things were now though, Swindle regretted getting the sigil big time. He was on the high value target list, just like Lockdown. Unfortunately for Swindle, his file made him seem even more dangerous than the famous bounty hunter. His arms dealing profession lead Autobots to want him captured alive, but alive didn't mean not crippled. 

Swindle's first encounter with bounty hunting Autobots on Earth was met with tragedy. He tried to persuade them to let him go with a promise of shiploads of credits and all the guns they could carry, but all they wanted was the chance to get hired by Sentinel Prime and put the former Decepticon in prison. The two Autobots teamed up on him, managing to mangle Swindle's leg and blind his left optic in the process. With sheer luck, Swindle managed to offline one of his assailants and completely blind the other. He limped away to an old warehouse where he feared he would soon offline from bleeding out, only to have Lockdown appear and take him to his ship.

Lockdown had managed to stop the leaking energon and replace Swindle's mangled leg with a similar one, only completely black with a spike on the toe-pede. Swindle optic however, was a lost cause. Lockdown had managed to keep it from getting any viruses or leaking energon, but he didn’t have any replacement optics. SO a black magnetic patch had to suffice. 

Swindle had asked Lockdown if he was going to turn him in for money, and was honest to Primus shocked when Locdown said he wasn’t going to. From that moment forward, they became two allies on the run from the law. Deadlier together than they ever were alone. 

Lockdown could easily remember when their new kind of relationship blossomed. It started with Swindle offering for them to share resources and be 'partners'. Lockdown agreed, seeing as it came with free weapons and mods. However, it drastically changed one night when Lockdown heard muffled sobbing coming from Swindle's room. Opening the door, worried that someone had snuck on board and was attacking him, he was met with the sight of Swindle's servos shaking as he clutched at his optic. Lockdown knew all too well what cries of pain sounded like, and these were definitely pained sobs. It took awhile and some awkwardly delivered words of comfort, but Swindle eventually let Lockdown take a look at his optic. 

Swindle's shattered optic was buzzing with electricity, a clear sign that the pain receptors were on and causing Swindle absolute agony. With a touch so gentle, a touch no bounty hunter should possess, Lockdown stroked Swindle's cheek with an apologetic look. He then took a small tool from his supsbace, a pain receptor offlining tool. Medics were known to use these to stop missing leg or arm sockets from causing the afflicted patient searing pain. Lockdown sighed and then spoke." I'll try to do it nice and fast Swindle. If you need to…uh…feel free to squeeze my hook or cry or whatever you need to do to get through this."

Swindle nodded, grabbing Lockdown's hook arm and squeezing it tightly with an agonizing scream of pain as the tool blasted his optic and fried all the pain receptors inside. As soon as the pain had come, it was gone. His optics now simply felt like an empty and lifeless hole, no more pains. 

Lockdown carefully placed the magnetic patch over Swindle's empty optic socket and let his servo linger on the ex-con's cheek." I'm sorry this happened to ya Swindle." He said softly, rubbing his thumb gently on his cheek. 

Swindle hummed a little, leaning forward and brushing his lips against the bounty hunter's, closing his optic in bliss when the kiss was deepened by Lockdown. 

 

It had been awhile since then. The two of them had managed to get in some trouble, but always got out of it unscathed. They had managed to rob a couple banks, steal energon shipments, and even offline some Autobot scouts who had found them. They had been getting dangerously cocky, and unfortunatley…they would soon pay for it. 

An energon raid gone bad was what caused Lockdown to feel true terror for the first time in forever. 

A troop of young Autbots had chased Swindle and Lockdown the whole way back to the decrepit garage they had been hiding their recently obtained loot in. Swindle had been laughing at them, a big grin on his face. That grin soon fell as one of the Autobots shot at them, striking the cube Swindle was carrying and causing it to explode. 

Lockdown's audials were ringing as he frantically looked around for his partner, gaping in horror as he laid his optics on Swindle's completely mangled body. Running over as fast as he could, Lockdown managed to drag Swindle into the garage behind some cover. Tears began to sting at the corner of his optics as he gently shook the injured arms dealer." Swindle! Come on Swindle show me you're alright." He pleaded. 

Swindle's optic came back online, extremely dim. His spark was visible through the large hole in his chassis and he steadily leaking energon from practically everywhere. He smiled softly as he looked at his savior." Lockdown…I'm sorry…I got cocky…this is all my fault I…" Swindle couldn’t finish as he coughed up a decent amount of energon. 

Placing his finger to Swindle's lips, Lockdown shushed him." Shh Swindle. Don't try and talk. You'll just make things worse." He whispered, pulling the mangled mech into his lap as he sat on the ground, feeling guilty when Swindle winced in pain.

The two could hear more Autobot reinforcements arriving outside, demanding that the two of them come out with their weapons down and hands up. 

Swindle gazed up at Lockdown pleadingly as he gave his final request." Lockdown…I don't want to go to prison. I just want to be free…with you." He said weakly, his spark stuttering as his energon levels became critical and he was edging closer to his spark dying. 

Lockdown nodded and gripped Swindle tighter, kissing his energon stained lips briefly. He soon took Swindle's fusion canon from his managled arm, attaching it to his own. Standing up and hauling Swindle up with him, Lockdown bumped their helms together and grinned." They'll never take alive." He whispered. 

The two soon burst through the garage doors, managing to offline at least 7 Autobots before finally the order was given to take them out. Blaster rounds went straight through them both, Lockdwon falling to the ground in a puddle of his own energon, still holding Swindle close. He let out a breathless laugh as he felt his own spark stutter, looking down to see Swindle's spark fading away. Sharing one last kiss, the two turned grey. 

After reports and details of their demise reached Cybertron, riots began breaking out. Ex-cons, retired bounty hunters, and soft sparked Autobots alike gathered together, calling the crimes and accomplishments of Swindle and Lockdown a work of art. Their love for one another and determination to not be taken alive sparked a new revolution. Megatron's capture had lost the Decepticon war, but Swindle and Lockdown's demises had just started an even greater one.


End file.
